Apparatus for removing foreign particles from air or similar gaseous mediums



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Filed March 6, 1940 M 3 T3 mm m ATrvRNEY May 12, 1942. s v R 2,282,770

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING FOREIGN PARTICLES FROM:

AIR OR SIMILAR GASEOUS-MEDIUMS Filed March 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEYNTOR f /lmeff fife/149i,"

Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED s'rA'nazs- PATENT. OFFICE azszsio APPARATUS FOR REMOVING FOREIGN PAR- TICLES FROM OB SHEILA]; GASEOUS MEDIUMS Emmett F. Sal-yer, Kansas City, Mo., assignor of two-thirds to Alan Dunn Barr, Lakewood, Ohio Application March a, 1s4o, sena1 No. 322,489

This invention relatesto apparatus for removing foreign particles from gaseous mediums, particularly dust, pollen, smoke, and germs from air,

and has for its principal object to provide an apof the casing through which a streamo'f gaseous medium, such as air, is moved by a blower II.

In the illustrated instance, the inlet ll of the blower is connected with a flange il' projecting circumferentially of 1 an outlet opening I! in the end wall 4 of the casing so that air or other gas passed therethrough; to provide an apparatus that is self-clearing of the removed material; and to provide an apparatus that requires little or no servicing.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing a side plate removed to better illustrate arrangement of drums and charging rolls or brushes for effecting removal of particles from a gaseous medium that is moved therebetween.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through the apparatus.

a Fig, 3 is a side elevational' view of the apparatus,

particularly illustrating drive of the drums and their associated charging rolls or brushes.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section through one corner of the casing. particularly illustrating the brush cleaning blades.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a modifled form of the invention.

Fig.2 is a section showing a modified form of drums. a 7

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, and which includes a casing 2 having end walls 3-4 connected by a top 5 and a bottom 3. The top and bottom 5 and 6 have transversely arranged offset portions 1 to provide suction manifolds 3, 3, I0 and H. The ends of the casing are closed by plates l2 and i3 preferably removably connected therewith by fastening devices such as screws l4 thereby permitting inspection or removal of the inner mechanism. The wall 3 has an inlet opening it extending substantially across the width to be cleaned is drawn through the casing and discharged through an outlet duct 20 which is connected with the discharge of the blower. rotor for the blower is preferably formed of conductive material and the shaftis grounded as at 23, for a purpose later described.

Joumalled in suitable bearings 2| in the end wallsare pairs of shafts 22-23 and 24-45 carrying drums 262I and 28-43 respectively, the

drums 26 and 21 beinglocated adjacent the air inlet it of the casing and the drums 23 and 29 adjacent the outlet opening is, with the drums of the pairs spaced apart to provide passageways 30 and 3! therebetween. The drums 28-and 21 are formed of material which when rubbed with another material attract dust, pollen, germs, smoke and similar particles contained in the airstream. For example, they may be formed of hard rubber which material-is capable of taking on a static charge when rubbed with fleece-like rolls or brushes 32, 3,3, 34 and 35. The drums 26 and 21 are of sufficient length to extend completely across the inner width of the casing and have their peripheral faces 36 and 31 spaced apart so that the passageway 30 is such asto assure attraction of foreign particles carried in the air-stream. The fleece-like rollers 32 and 33 are carried by shafts 33 and 33 having their ends journalled in the side walls of the casing at points above the shaft 22 so that the peripheries 43 thereof are in brushing contact with the face 33 of the drum 26. The fleece-like rollers 34and 35 are similarly carried on shafts 4| and 42 and rubbing contact with the face 31 of the drum Extending through slots 43 in the top and bottom of the casing are blades 44-45 and 46-41 having edge portions 43 engaging the peripheries of the respective rolls or brushes 32, 33, 34 and 35. The rolls 32 and 33 and their associated blades 44 and 45 thus close the space on the respective sides of the manifold 3 to form a collecting chamber 49 at the top of the casing. A similar collecting chamber 50- is likewise provided at the bottom of the casing in communication with the manifold Ill. The drums 28 and 29 are of different construction in that they include cores 5| carrying metallic sleeves 82 having peripheral outer faces 53-54 respectively The which are spaced apart the proper distancev to carry a current discharge across the passageway Likewise associated with the drums 28-29 are brush-like rolls 55-56 and 51-58, arranged similar to'the fleece-like rolls just described. The

Carried by suitable brackets 65 and 56, whichare attached to the upper -manifold portions of apeavro brushes to remove the particles from the surfaces of the drums and discharge them into the collecting chambers from where they are readily removed with the streams of air being drawn through the collection chambers by the suction pump 16. The rolls 33 and 35 remove charged particles that are not removed by the rolls 32.

and 34 and cooperate therewith in reestablishin'g and maintaining a static charge on the drums.

the casing, arebrushes 61 and $8 arranged to Y contact the faces 38 and 53 of the drums 2t and 28 respectively, so that a static charg col-- lected on the drum 28 is transferred through the brush 61 to the brush 68 by meansof an interconnecting conductoriit to charge the nic tallic sleeve 52 of the drum and wherefrorn an opposite charge is induced on the drum 2!. Therefore any particles that may pass the drums 26 and 21 are collected upon one or the other of the peripheral faces-58 or it and carried thereon into the collection chambers 59 and 88.

Contacting the metallic sleeve 52 of the drum 29 is a brush it that is carried on a bracket H similar to the brackets to and 86 previously described, and which is grounded by a conductor 12. The conductors 69 and i2 are insulated with respect to the casing by suitable insulators i3.

Connected with the manifolds of the respective collection chambers are suction ducts it and 15 leading to the inlet of a suction pump indicated at 76, Fig. 2, so that the particles collected in the respective chambers are removed therefrom in that they are carried in the small air-streams being drawn through the collection chambers by the suction pump.

The drums and their associated rubbing rolls may be driven in any suitable manner in the directions of the arrows as shown in Fig. 2, however, as illustrated in Fig. 3, I have shown each of the drum shafts as provided with a sprocket ll and each of the roll or brush shafts with the sprocket E8 which are all interconnected by an endless chain it driven from a sprocket 86 on the shaft 8| of a suitable driving mechanism 82 whereby the mechanisms are actuated at proper speeds.

The blower i6 may be operated by any suitable prime mover, for example a motor 83, which 1 may be directly connected with the rotor shaft of the blower. With the blower in operation, air is drawn through the opening 1'5, passages 30 and 3E and discharged through the duct 2o. With the drums in operation, a static charge or attractive force is generated on the surfaces 38 and 31 of the drums 2d and, 21' to attract and collect thereon foreign particles carried in the air-stream, especially those particles having a charge opposite to the charge on the drums, or like charges of smaller intensity. Neutral particles or those having no charge will have charges induced thereon by the charged surfaces of the drums. These particles and particles having charges. of intensities similar to the charge of the drums will continue through the passage 38.

As the drums rotate, the particles are carried under the rolls 32 and 34 which also serve as As the drum 26 rotates under the brush 61,

the charge is removed and transferred by way of the conductor 69 and brush 66 'to the drum .28 and an opposite charge is induced upon the drum 29. Therefore the particles passing the first drums and those which were ionized are attracted to one or the other of the surfaces 53 or of the second pair of drums to be carried therewith and discharged into the collecting chambers by the brush rolls 55-58 and 5-l-58. The air, upon impact with the metal blades of the fan rotor, is deionized, thereby so thatany ionization originally. therein is removed by conduction of the charge to the ground 20'.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 is similar to that just described except that the static charge passed between the last set of.

drums is generated by contact of brushes 84 with a drum 85 capable of taking a static charge on the face 86 thereof, the complementary drum 88 being formed of a material on which is generated a charge opposite to that generated on the drum responsive to contact of brushes 89. The drums 85 and 88, having different charges, will collect particles which may have opposite charges.

The drums shown in Fig. 7 are provided with a plurality of spaced flanges $0 to increase the extent of the charged surface of the drums, the flanges on the one drum being staggered and in lapping relation to the flanges on the other drum as clearly illustrated in the drawing.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided an apparatus which is adapted for removing foreign particles from gas or air-streams with little or no resistance to the flow. It is also obvious that the apparatus will operate with little or no servicing expense and that the charged drums will effectively remove particles which are so minute they could not be-removed by filtering. Therefore the apparatus is particularly adapted for removing germs, smoke, pollen, and other infinitesimal particles.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus of the character described, in cluding a casing, a pair of drums rotatably supported in the casing and having cylindrical surfaces spaced apart to form a passageway therebetween, means having rubbing contact with the surfaces of the drums to effect charging of said surfaces, means contacting the drums for removal of foreign particles attracted to the charged surfaces of the drums, means contacting the charged surface of one of the drums at a point intermediate the charging and particle removing means to remove the charge from the drum, 9. second pair of drums having cylindrical surfaces spaced apart to form a passageway therebetween, means for conducting the charge from one of thefirst named drums to one of the last named drums, and means for grounding the other of said last named drums.

2. Apparatus of the character described, including a casing having an inlet and an outlet in opposite sides thereof, pairs of cylindrical drums rotatably mounted in the casing with the drums in each pair spaced apart to provide a passageway therebetween, spaced contact members having rubbing contact with the drums on the respective sides oi said passageways to eflect a static charge on said drums, means cooperating with said contact members to form col-' lecting chambers therebetween, and suction 'means connected with the collecting chambers for removing particles from said chambers which have been removed from charged surfaces of the drums by said contact members.

3. Apparatus oi the character described, including a casing having an inlet and an outlet in opposite sides thereof, pairs of cylindrical drums rotatably mounted in the casing with the drums in each pair spaced apart to provide a passageway therebetween, spaced contact rolls engaging 4. An apparatus or the character described including, a casing having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, a rotatable member supported in the casing near the inlet end thereof having a surface formed of non-conductive material, means having rubbing contact with the surface of said non-conductive material to eilect charging 01 said surface, means contacting the charged surface to remove foreign particles the drums on the respective sides of said passage-' ways, blades connected with the casing and contacting the rolls to iorm collection chambers therebetween, and suction means connected with the collection chambers for removing particles from said chambers which have been removed from the surfaces 01' the drums by said contact rolls.

attracted to said charged surface, a pair of eurremoval of foreign particles contained in said I gaseous medium; 1

- EMME'IT F. SARVER.v 

